Not That Kind of Girl

From the acclaimed creator, producer, and star of HBO's Girls comes a hilarious, wise, and fiercely candid collection of personal essays that establishes Lena Dunham as one of the most original young talents writing today.
In Not that Kind of Girl, Dunham illuminates the experiences that are part of making one's way in the world: falling in love, feeling alone, being ten pounds overweight despite eating only health food, having to prove yourself in a room full of men twice your age, finding true love, and, most of all, having the guts to believe that your story is one that deserves to be told.
Exuberant, moving, and keenly observed, Not that Kind of Girl is a series of dispatches from the frontlines of the struggle that is growing up. "I'm already predicting my future shame at thinking I had anything to offer you," Dunham writes. "But if I can take what I've learned and make one menial job easier for you, or prevent you from having the kind of sex where you feel you must keep your sneakers on in case you want to run away during the act, then every misstep of mine will have been worthwhile."

“You’ve learned a new rule and it’s simple: don’t put yourself in situations you’d like to run away from” -Lena Dunham

Where to start with this amazing book. After seeing so many posts on Instagram from the fellow book bloggers I follow, I decided I needed to head right out and grab this. A lot of people wrote about how they could relate to this, how funny it was, and how it was a must need for any fan of Lena Dunham. I had watched half a season of girls, and I loved it so much. Knowing Lena had created, written, directed and starred in it, and knowing how much criticism she was receiving as a woman in the spotlight, I needed to dive into this right away!

Not That Kind of Girl – A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned” is in the top 3 of my favorite books for this year. Filled with Lists, Emails, essays, this book gives you a look into what it’s like to fall in love, being overweight ( Even when you’re trying to lose weight ) and learning about yourself. Dealing with all the confusion and awkwardness of going from a child, to a teen to an adult. With amazing chapter names such as, ‘Take My Virginity (No Really, Take It)’, and ‘Platonic Bed Sharing: A Great Idea (for People Who Hate Themselves)’, I knew the moment I saw them that this book was going to be one that would make me laugh, regardless of if I liked it or not.

This book is filled with advice, hilarious stories, and writings that get you thinking about how you do things in life. From her sister being a lesbian, sexual health, to being date raped, this book hits some spots in life that women (and men) can relate to. Lena puts her humor and personality into her writing, all of it coming through very clearly. I often found myself laughing while reading, not only because it was funny, but because my first thought after reading it was, ‘This is how I feel/felt when I went through this exact same thing.’ Sometimes in life, it’s hard to find someone you relate to, and when you do it’s the greatest thing ever. It’s not often a female writer completely lets out how they feel, no matter how silly or odd it may seem. Lena shares her fears and worries she had as a child, and doesn’t care what other people will think when they read it. That is what being honest is all about when writing. Being 100% upfront and real is something that doesn’t always happen these days.

If you’re a fan of ‘Girls’ and Lena Dunham, I highly recommend reading this book.

Lena may not be everyones cup of tea, but I couldn’t put this book down. I finished it in a day! I do hope she keeps writing, and I look forward to her next steps in her career, which I will be watching!